Maybe you’re an internet unicorn, the rare person who never feels the ick after posting yet another reel or writing yet another blurb for your latest freebie. If you never feel like you want to go crawl in a hole and never see the internet again, this probably isn’t the post for you, and you can read about other things here.

But if you DO sometimes look at your website and your marketing methods and feel like… ew. I hate this. I can’t believe I’m saying these things to the public.

It… might be time to do some checking in with yourself and figure out why and how you can fix it.

I am a marketer who thinks that IF YOUR MARKETING MAKES YOU CRINGE, YOU PROBABLY SHOULDN’T DO IT THAT WAY ANYMORE.

I think so many of us that don’t love the concept of marketing in general can start to feel like it’s just a necessary evil, something we have to do against our will and better judgment, just to get sales.

And perhaps there’s a grain of truth in that for some of us that were excessively trained to never ever talk about ourselves unless asked—— but in general, I think if marketing feels awful to you, you need to do it differently.

Grab a pen and paper, dears, it’s time to do some ✨reflective journaling.✨

1. Am I writing with literal names and faces in my mind?

More than just the ole client avatar, you neeeeeed to have actual humans in mind that you’re marketing to,. You need to be solving actual problems you’ve heard them articulate. If your marketing is making you cringe, I would bet you likely are writing to a bit of a fancy/judgy/not friendly/imagined persona rather than to actual other humans.

2. Am I accidentally just trying to keep up with trends, OR trying to add actual beauty and value to the online world?

Running to keep up with the trends, will just make you tired. Sure, you can be culturally literate and reference current inside jokes or popular phrases, but don’t base your marketing off those extremely transient pieces. Trendy things can be added in, but if you try to make them your whole marketing philosophy or campaign, it won’t be one that lasts.

3. Do I have a life offline?

When I notice every single bit of marketing feeling gross to me, it’s sooo often connected to being way too saturated in the marketing world, usually IG or somewhere else I’m scrolling. Get a life. 🙂 Do other things. Then occasionally come back and talk online about what you offer that benefits your clients’ offline life.

4. Am I trying to sell just because it makes money, or because I think my offer makes an impact?

In order to connect effectively over the long haul, marketing HAS to be for a bigger purpose than just sales. If you’re only trying to bring in cash because you have to, your audience will see. through. it. Market to add value first, then sell something that’s an extension of that value.

5. Do I need to revisit/ make my non-cringe marketing standards?

Do you have a framework for marketing in a way that you love and feel good about? For a long time I had an actual pen on paper routine that I checked back with, every single time I posted, to make sure I was staying ✨aligned with my values. ✨ I highly recommend having your marketing philosophy and best practices written down. Refer back to them often (even if it’s not every time you write something) so that you don’t accidentally do something you don’t believe in.

One more reminder: your marketing doesn’t have to and SHOULDN’T feel cringey and gross to you. If you work through these reflections and still feel stuck about where to go next, I would love to brainstorm with you. You can book a Marketing Strategy Hour right here, and start in on some tangible next steps to make your marketing into something that isn’t just adding to the deafening noise. 🫶🏼